Stories, analysis, highlights, and everything Yankees from an up & coming sports journalist.

Superman without His Cape…or…Thor without His Hammer

The Yankees scored a total of six runs the last four games, the offense looking about as alive as a rotten cadaver. Tonight, the Bronx Bombers looked like their usual selves though, scoring six runs (yes, in a single game) to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 to snap a three-game losing skid.

CC Sabathia played the role of stopper, capturing his fourth win of 2012. Derek Jeter remained hot, blasting a two-run homer in the seventh, his fifth of the year, helping his cause to upkeep his .404 batting average.

While that is all nice to hear, the Yanks’ worst nightmare manifested itself before yesterday’s game.

Mariano Rivera, shagging fly balls in the outfield during batting practice, was tripped up between the grass and the warning track. He landed awkwardly; his right leg torqued, and the all-time saves leader fell to the ground in agonizing pain.

Manager Joe Girardi raced to Rivera, as did his teammates and the trainer, as he clasped his right knee – a scene that left Alex Rodriguez in disbelief. The 42-year-old Yankee closer was taken off the field on a cart and brought to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a torn ACL.

Superman lost his cape.

Or, in maybe a more fitting comparison for this evening, Thor lost his hammer.

According to the Yankee beat writers via Twitter, the clubhouse had a morgue-like ambience; it felt as though the Yankees lost a postseason series. At the very least, Rivera will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

After yesterday’s 4-3 loss to the Royals, Rivera – overwrought with emotion – stood in front of reporters, teary-eyed. They asked him whether or not he would ever pitch again, to which he replied, “I don’t know.” It seemed as though an unfamiliar uneasiness swept over the Yankee team.

They’ve never been in this position before.

For the first time in 18 years the man they call “Mo” won’t be there at the end of the game to slam the proverbial door in the collective faces of the Yankees’ opponents. During that span the Yanks have never been without Rivera for an extended period of time; a few short DL stints here and there, but never for an entire season.

This opened up the floodgates for a barrage of questions.

Rivera cannot be replaced, but who fills the void at closer?

Rafael Soriano? David Robertson?

What do the Yankees do as far as another bullpen arm?

Pull the struggling Phil Hughes from the rotation and put him in the ‘pen?

Can the Yankees win without Rivera?

Most of these questions remain unanswered, but tonight, they did win without him, albeit in a non-save situation. Robertson was brought in and sealed the deal in Kansas City. He is looking like the logical choice to supplant Rivera, at least at the moment.

Today Rivera vowed to come back from his torn ACL, saying, “I’m coming back. Write it down in big letters. I’m not going out like this.”

I hope he is right. His Hall of Fame-worthy career just can’t end that benignly.

It’s not as if players haven’t come back from torn ACL injuries in the past. In fact in May 2008, starting pitcher Yovani Gallarado of the Milwaukee Brewers tore his ACL and returned before the playoffs began. However, Gallardo was 22 years old when he suffered the tear.

I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV, but I’d venture to guess it is a little easier bouncing back from a torn ACL at 22 than it is at 42. Age catches up with everyone, and I don’t know of many athletes who have come back from such a devastating injury at that age.

When it happened, the first thought that crossed my mind was the scene in Friday Night Lights when the Permian Panthers lost their star running back James “Boobie” Miles at the start of the football season to a bone-crunching knee injury.

It’s almost the same situation – the Yankees lost a key player, and the rest of the team is left having to find ways to win without him, a la tonight.

Right now, I’d like to heed Rivera’s words that he will indeed come back. Always an honest person, I have no doubt in my mind Rivera meant what he said and he will do anything and everything in his power to get back to the top.

It won’t be easy; in fact there may even have to be some divine intervention. But I believe in Rivera’s ability to rehab his knee, work hard, recover, and ultimately end his career on the mound at Yankee Stadium, rather than the warning track at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

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